The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Video Marketing

Oct21

Written by Matt Lacasse

Ever since the first commercial flickered across our TV sets on July 1, 1941, marketers have been trying to harness the power of video. With more and more video being consumed online, and the ease in which it can be produced, video marketing is quickly becoming a necessity for brands rather than a luxury. Wondering how you can implement video into your marketing budget? Here’s how you get started.

Remember that content is king. The title of your video and what you say in it matter. A lot. You can have the flashiest video this side of Beyonce, but it doesn’t mean anything if there’s nothing worth remembering at the end. Plan your video strategically. What goals are you trying to achieve? Which audience(s) do you want to reach? The answers to those questions matter and must be answered before you even think about picking up a camera.

When you answer those questions, keep this thought in mind: people are not looking through videos online to be sold to. In fact, if they’re searching YouTube or browsing Facebook, being sold to is the last thing they want. That doesn’t mean you CAN’T sell to them. It means you have to do it in a way that entertains them. Think of your video like a movie trailer. Sure, the purpose is to get people to buy a ticket to the movie in the end, but the trailer also entertains. Need an example? How about earlier this week when the Internet lost its collective mind over the new Star Wars trailer? Entertain and inform your audience. If you do that well, you can sell them at the exact same time.

YouTube sees about 4 billion views per day…and so does Facebook. Let that sink in. Your audience; regardless of age, gender, income, or any other demographic measure is watching video online. Period. It’s not that you’ll be left behind if you don’t incorporate video into your marketing strategy. It’s that you aren’t going to capture the attention of your audience in a way that motivates them. Kenzie would love to talk with you about the first steps to getting your video marketing strategy rolling. You can send her an email or give her a call at the office.